Often I...

...Share Some News (Part 3) -OR- ...Talk About Life

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:01:00 -0400

So I’ve been thinking a lot about what I really want from my life. I currently have a few things down as long term goals.

Move to Vermont
When I tell people I want to move to Vermont, they ask me why. When I think about it, it just makes sense. Everyone I know from the state shares very similar mindsets to me and they’re all super nice.

It’s also very similar to New York in a lot of ways climate-wise. I enjoy the winters and summers here, but the lake-effect snow does often get boring.

I have also been into and through the state a few times and out of all the states I’ve been to, I’ve loved the atmosphere the most. It just feels right. Of coure, if I ever get an itch forNew York, it’s not really that hard to cross the border.

And as a kicker, I love maple syrup and trees.

Teach People in Some Way
I love to learn. I love to share what I learn with other people. I love when other people know more and have a thirst to know more. It’s only natural that I would want to share information with people.

If people learn from me because I’m a teacher or because I’m a well-followed blogger, I don’t care. I want to be the source of some kind of information to someone. I love the feeling I get when people tell me the didn’t know something until they talked to me.

Get Written Work Published
This is my main goal. I want to be featured somewhere that isn’t of my own creation. I want many people reading something I wrote and I want to have fans of some sort.

With this new project I’m working on with Bill Griggs (over at Maker Masters and other related sites), it seems a little closer than I originally imagined. It’s exciting to know that I may have one of my goals checked off so soon.

Of course, after I get published in some way, I will continue to do my writing because it’s what I love to do. It makes me happy and calms me down. that’s all the really matters to me. If it can help me pay the bills, the more power to it.

——

Because of my current project, I am deciding to organize my life a little better. I bought a nice note binder from Staples a couple weeks ago and today I finally got around to putting sections in. They currently are: ”Overall ‘To Do’s’,” “Life Plans,” “Reviews/Article Notes,” “Craft Ideas,” Video/Blog Ideas” (This will be covered in my next post), and “Shit I Want.”

There isn’t too much in the notebook right now, but what I do have in there should sprout to life more great things to come.

~Jared~

(EDIT : So It’s a good thing I now know that when I type in 6PM on the queue, it sends it one hour later. Good to know. Sorry for the spam)

...Share Some News (Part 2) -OR- ...Talk About Work

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:27:57 -0400

Welcome back to this new style of blogging I am trying out. I want to keep the posts shorter when I talk, and I want to keep them more spaced out. At least this way, I will be able to put down all my thoughts without you all drowning in them (and inform me if 3 hours between posts is reasonable enough. I can surely extend the time between when I have longer ideas like this.).

——

So I’m still looking for work. At the same time, I am trying to figure out what I really want to do. I know I want to write and I know that down the road I want to write for online media. I would love to get into product reviews and informational pieces because that’s what interests me most (next to gaming).

While I was looking, an old friend told me that her father was looking for a writer for his projects. Little did I know, his projects pretty much lined up with what I want to do. I also didn’t know that he had been a pretty successful internet business pioneer way back in the nineties.

We met up and talked about it and I’m really excited for this opportunity to get to do something I have been wanting to do. The hardest part will be getting it off the ground so that it starts to make some money, but I’m sure we can do it soon enough.

The details of my work include: Doing research on products and doing reviews on products. Currently I’m reviewing the AMAZER FoLDo Universal Tablet Stand. I hope to get it tested and the review written up soon. I also hope the Consumer Review site that I will be writing for goes live soon. I’m really excited to get something out there on the net and have people learn something.

I am really excited for this and I know that in the least, I will learn something great about freelancing.

——

As a final note here, I’m going to link you to the site that is already up. It’s a site that’s set up around interviews of people who take things and turn them into robotic things.

It’s an awesome site and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from the (currently few) posts. (I also hope to help him post more on this site)

Maker Masters

~Jared~

...Share Some News (Part 1) -OR- ...Talk About My Fitness

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:11:00 -0400

I have not been completely up-to-date with my followers or random readers. This series of posts should alleviate that.

So, as many of you know, I have been doing the sit-up and push-up challenges. They were going fantastically until we got that heat wave. Because I do not have air conditioning in my house (or a way to properly ventilate the heat out), I was stuck not really being able to do the challenge.

Where does that leave me?

Firstly, it doesn’t leave me as a failure. As far as I’m concerned, I succeeded because I did something I wasn’t able to do before. To be honest, in the first place I was just doing this as a joke. If I do call this the “end” of the challenges, I can happily say that I have done well.

This morning I recorded 50 pushups (5 times more than I could do 5 weeks ago), 70 sit-ups (2 times more than I could do 5 weeks ago), and 130 jumping jacks (just because).

I’m proud of myself and I feel I have done more than I ever thought possible, even if I didn’t make the 100 pushups or 200 sit-ups.

Secondly, it doesn’t mean I’m done. I’ll still be doing the challenge for the most part. The only difference is I will be taking it slower and I will not be updating on it as regularly. I would still love to do the 100 pushups and 200 sit-ups, I just won’t be as hard-pressed to do them.

Finally, I’m awesome (I couldn’t think of anything there, so I’ll just go tooting my own horn).

~Jared~

...Hate The Heat Of The World (W6D1)

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:25:00 -0400

I waited an extra day to start this workout because of work. Now I don’t want to do it because today is really REALLY hot. Oh boy.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 50/50 - 190
SU: 60/60 - 195

...Am Far Too Hot (W5D3)

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:18:03 -0400

It’s far too hot. This weather makes me a sad panda.

Thatisall.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 45/45 - 175
SU: 67/67 - 261

...Am Awesome (W5D2)

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:50:00 -0400

I really enjoied today’s challenges. It changed, and will stay changed, to 7 or more sets instead of the 5 from before. This allows me more rest time and less reps in each set. I found it almost too difficult before when it was 5 sets of over 40, now it’s 7 sets of 20 and 1 set of 40 instead.

I don’t recall giving any sort of update on how the challenges are making me look, so I shall get into that now. Awesome. I look awesome. Yes, I still have a little flab on the sides and in the front; yes, I have a long way to go but my back and front have become much more defined. Margaret has commented about my back being much more muscle-y (and I have to believe her because I have no idea how different it actually is).

I have surely noticed that my front side has flattened more. I’m very pleased with the shape I’m taking. It has gotten to the point where I am finally comfortable for the first time in my life to wear a tight tank-top (wife-beater, w/e) in public (or wear one period). I hope the flattening continues and I hope that when I’m done with the challenges I can start losing weight because being stuck at 220 sucks.

——

On the job front, the interview I had was okay. I wasn’t too impressed by the place but I gave it my all because I really would like to have a writing position. He asked for me to send a sample tech piece and my transcript (please reply and tell me if you have ever heard of that, I never have).

I finally got the chance to send them in today and within 5 minutes I got a reply that he would not be extending me a job at this point in time. Why he had to string me like that? I don’t know. I’m not too hurt by it because it literally took me 10 minutes to get set up.

Could it have been the fact that when I explained my transcript in the email it turned him off? It honestly shouldn’t matter. I did TECHNICALLY have a 3.4 in major when I graduated. Just because my transcript says 2.5, doesn’t mean anything. That is from failed attempts at other majors and just shows how hard I try to find what’s good for me. It proves that I’m persistant and will look for the right thing when I really want to.

Well, their loss. :-D

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 40/40 - 160
SU: 60/60 - 240

PS : There. A quality post. That made me feel fantastic.

...Have an Interview (W5D1)

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:40:00 -0400

Well, I have an interview today. I’m nervous.

I’m not making a long post because of the nerves, you know how it goes.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 35/35 - 145
SU: 52/52 - 217

So I linked to a video of an acoustic version of this a week or...

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:27:00 -0400

So I linked to a video of an acoustic version of this a week or so ago but I was wishing for a better quality one. It looks like LP love me.

This is the best thing ever.

Linking Park - “Rolling In The Deep (Cover)”

...Take a Stress Test

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:58:13 -0400

So I figured that I should go ahead and do my stress tests today for my challenges. From now until the end of the challenges (2 more weeks), I will be working out on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

Good news - I did 42 push-ups and 55 sit-ups.
Bad news - I need to do 100 push-ups and 200 push-ups by the end of another two weeks.

I can see the improvement and I can see the possibility, but I can also see that I may need to repeat week 6 a couple of times before I can make either of the final goals possible.

~Jared~

If you read this, you must do 100 jumping jacks RIGHT NOW. I don't care if you're busy, JUST DO IT. When you're done, you will either like or reblog this post and as a reward I will follow you if I find your blog interesting :-) If I don't get any notes, I will know that you didn't do it, which shows your total lack of willpower. DO IT!

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 14:03:41 -0400

Phew. That was more tiring than I thought it would be, but I managed to do it. Maybe if I had read this BEFORE my push-up and sit-up challenges.

~Jared~

...Apply For Jobs (W4D3)

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:57:57 -0400

So many jobs. Eugh.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 34/33 - 131
SU: 53/50 - 200

...Have a Confession (W4D2)

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:13:36 -0400

I broke down yesterday. I broke down BAD. I had a full day (14 hours w/o break) but when I got into work, I just couldn’t move. It was as if the walls were tightening around me. I began to feel anxious, claustrophobic. A thought rushed through my mind: I’m never going to leave this place. I tried my hardest to work yesterday, but most of the time I couldn’t do anything.

About halfway through the day I went out to get some air and ended up just sitting in my car for 45 minutes on the phone with my mother.

Do I feel better after that? Physically, yes. My mind is still not happy with what I need to go through until I can find a job/career I’m proud of. I just feel like such a failure when I walk into the job. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that people who choose to work there are failures, but I just know I can do so much more. I love that people can do retail and love it, but I am not one of those people.

I have an interview on Wednesday next week for a PR position at a computer repair company in Syracuse. I hope it goes well.

——

In other news : I have to do some work today. Last week I bought a nice leather -expandable folder - portfolio and I hope to fill it with writing samples. I will be preparing some of my documents for printing, and some will be pieces I wrote on this blog. Now I wish to pose a question:
Other than the few samples I have posted (“Blue,” “If Only,” and “Warped”), what should I include from this blog in my portfolio?

If you don’t remember things I have posted, don’t worry about going back and re-reading everything. I would just like to know what really stood out as a post that captured my sense of style, voice, and intelligence.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 30/28 - 115
SU: 45/42 - 173

... (W4D1)

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:29:00 -0400

Yeah, I got nothing. Everything is boring. I need a new job still.

Also, I swear : Good update soon.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 26/25 - 98
SU: 43/38 - 151

...Take the Day Off (W3D3)

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 15:27:36 -0400

I got work off today so I went to the mall with Margaret. We also scoped out a place we both have an interview at. That’s it for today. I need to go out and buy some resume paper and some portfolio stuff.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 21/21 - 88
SU: 32/32 - 134

...Take it Slow (W3D2)

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:22:31 -0400

Day off. Going to the mall today to meet up with some friends who my fiancee and I want to get an apartment with. I wonder how difficult it will be to find a place that will rent to two couples…

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 19/19 - 80
SU: 29/28 - 120

...Explain A Little (W3D1)

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:04:00 -0400

Pushups (and situps) were a beast today, I’m surprised I made it through (barely). I hope this week gets easier for me as it goes. I may have to drop to the easier set next day because my muscles just plain failed for me. They had been easy for me and I had been making great strides in the last two weeks, but now I don’t seem to be doing much better. I think all I have to blame is my job.

So yeah, I’m finally going to get to this (since I had two days off recently, so I could collect my thoughts. I’m not right for retail. I like to be constantly moving, and/or constantly creative. If I can do either of those things I am happy. The problem I have with retail is that I can only be creative every once in a while, I’m stationary for most of the day, and the hours are not the best. For the most part, I have been working from noon to 9PM, that leaves me with almost no time to myself and makes me very depressed. I’m not a fan of getting home, eating, and going to sleep.

Now, it’s not all bad. As an assistant manager, I get to do bookkeeping at the end of the day and I love it. I also enjoy stocking shelves and grabbing from truck, both which only happen once a week. The rest of the week is spent behind a counter or rearranging shelves to a schematic.

I would love to love the job, but I don’t think I can. Maybe if I can get mostly mornings (7:30-3) and full days, I will feel better as I will have more time to myself. I have talked to my manager and she’s willing to help me out there BUT, I am looking for jobs again.

I did find one I’m interested in, but the lady wasn’t there when I called yesterday. It’s a copywriter job in Syracuse with base pay of $11-$12/hr (DOE). That sounds great to me, even though the increase in pay would be about how much I would waste in gas switching jobs (I would get a little more though because my car has a small tank and goes about 33mpg).

So I hope I can find something in the area that will make me happy, and I hope I can do it soon. I don’t think I could last more than a month at this job because of the depression. I have not felt this shitty in years.

——

On the weightloss front - it’s not happening, but I am thinning. This challenge is doing wonderful things for my torso, but I’m also putting on muscle. I would love to get to running again, but with the being depressed and working a lot, I can’t find the drive.

——

I need to move out, I need a new job.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 18 (BARELY)/17 - 73
SU: 25/25 - 116

...Need to Find Something Better (W2D3)

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 10:17:00 -0400

I WILL explain the title of this probably tomorrow (my day off). Just to let people know, retail makes me depressed.

Blah.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum
PU: 16/15
SU: 30/23

...Hate the Morning

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:39:31 -0400

Today is my first early morning for anything in a very, very long time. I’m not a fan of waking up early because it’s difficult to fall asleep before midnight. Somehow I managed to get 7 hours of sleep last night, but I’d rather still be in bed. I got to do my challenges this morning to wake me up, but I don’t have time to run until after work (at 2).

Funfunfun.

~Jared~

Done/Minimum
PU: 13/13

SU: 24/20

Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda perform...

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:59:12 -0400

Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda perform “Rollin’ in the Deep” by Adele at an LPU summit.

I just found this video this morning. I think I’m as happy as a little school girl.

~Jared~

...Give a Little More Info (W2D1)

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:32:00 -0400

Just so everyone knows, the numbers at the bottom are not the most I can do during the day, but the most I can do after 4 sets of push-ups or sit-ups. The Push-ups today were 9, 11, 8, 8, then the final number (11 for today). It’s pretty difficult because by the fourth set in each, I’m already tired. Adding ten to each of my numbers after only one week really has me hooked that I will be able to finish this (and have some really toned muscles).

——

Work related stuff: (IN BULLET FORM!!!!)

I’m working at a local Dollar Store
I got hired on as Assistant Manager (With no retail experience [Cause I’m awesome])
I should be getting 40 hours with overtime in the next couple of weeks
I should be able to start freelance writing once I get into the groove of working again (a couple of weeks)

I honestly don’t care right now if I have a writing related job, as long as I have a job. I can always do freelance on the side to get some extra cash, and in a couple years (when Margaret want’s to move) I will be moving out of state and finding a job in my field anyway (This area of New York sucks for me, and I m not going to work in a city).

That’s it for today. Updates on how things other than work have been going in the coming days (probably tomorrow since I have a day off).

~Jared~

Done/Minimum
PU: 12/11

SU: 20/17